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Pocketful of Sunshine
:I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine :I got a love and I know that it's all mine :Do what you want but you're never gonna break me :Sticks and stones you're never gonna shake me, :Take me away, a secret place! :A sweet escape! Take me away! :Take me away, to better days! :Take me away! A hiding place! Chapter 1 - Spying is Fun... "You know what Emberstar said, mark every blade of grass!" I pull myself forward, my belly fur brushing the grass. Thorn creeps beside me, his ginger fur a splash in the green grass. He looks at me, and I can tell by the look in his green eyes that he wants to get closer. I nod slightly and we slink closer to the Thunder Path. Silverstar was utterly conflicted about who to send on this mission. It was in ThunderClan territory, so the cats had to be very sneaky and inconspicuous. On the other paw, only Thorn and I were the only ones who could smell (and hear) the ShadowClan cats over the stench and roar of the Thunder Path. So in the end she sent us, even though his ginger pelt and my white one were about as sneaky as badgers. "Why do we have to do this?" asks a whiny apprentice, "It's soooo hard!" "Hush Pinepaw!" a harsh sounding she-cat meows, "When your leader commands you to do something, you do it!" "We have to scare those ThunderClan weaklings," a gruff tom meows, "Before we begin the plan." They move down the border line and I hurriedly motion with my tail for Thorn to back away. We quickly retreat to the shade of the trees, "What do you think their planning?" Thorn asks curiously. I shrug, "Emberstar is crafty. Whatever it is it isn't good." Thorn sigh and mutters, "She reminds me of Drak-" he trails off and I wince. Drakon. She reminds me of Drakon. And she does- with her black fur and terrible orange eyes...not to mention her ruthless leadership. Emberstar has haunted more then one of my dreams since I got here. Drakon- the horrible cat who's probably killed my family by now and has already sent my best friend, Cobweb, to Blood Pond- the place where leader's of Drakon's side of Twoleg Place go to train for their leadership and become monsters. Not that I'm bitter or anything. "Let's go report to Silverstar," I meow. I turn and lead the way back to camp, weaving between the trees, swimming through the river sprinting across the pebbles. Even though when I came here at first I hated it, I've grown to love the forest and river. Things are looking up! Or... at least they were before Emberstar decided to go all crazy. Chapter 2 - ...But Thinking Is Not Thorn tells me he'll go report to Silverstar, and before I can protest he bounds off to her den. Knowing I should probably wait for my leader's next orders, I head to the fresh-kill pile and search for a mouse. Not finding one, I sigh and settle for a water vole. I head over to the far corner of camp where I usually eat, alone or with Thorn. Most of the Clan cats are still wary around me and Thorn's posse only knew me for a two days. I pick at my vole, not really hungry. On one paw, I'm anxious to hear what Silverstar makes of all this. ShadowClan is up to something, and despite the fact I pretend not to care about Clan affairs, I'm curious. On the other paw, it's been almost seven sunrises since Cobweb was taken. I clench my teeth together, biting my tongue to keep from showing emotion. I've already had my fair share of breakdowns- the Clan cats don't need to think I'm any crazier. But at the same time, I remember my kithood friend, the cat I trained with, my best friend in the whole wide world. When we were little he told me that since he was the son of Drakon and I was the daughter of Hawk-eye that made us a prince and a princess, so we had to get married. I let out a bitter laugh. Oh Cobweb... Blood Pond is one of the best kept secrets in Twoleg Place. Not the fact that it exists- what goes down there. Everyone knows it's where the leader of Drakon's side of town go to train for leadership. But what happens there? There are rumors that Blood Pond is run by a council of elders who train the new leader in the ways of leadership. There are rumors that our ancestors teach the cat. There are even rumors that the new leader's soul is sucked out and he is sent back without one. I wouldn't be surprised if that was true. But it hurts. To think of Cobweb, the Cobweb I knew- with blue eyes shining, gray-silver fur dirty from our playing- turned into a soulless beast...it's too much to bear. Before I do something stupid, like break into sobs in the middle of camp, Thorn returns. I look up as he approaches. The smile he has, the adventurous look in his eyes probably means Silverstar wants us to go do some more spying. Or kidnap Emberstar. Something along those lines. I stand and go to meet him. Chapter 3 - Nasty Smells Imagine the smell of marsh. Now imagine the smell of marsh, plus the smell of frog dirt. Now imagine that frog dirt/marsh combo, plus ''the stench of evil and disease. That's kind of what ShadowClan territory smelled like. Now, I'm not exactly the best cat to tell you about how bad cats smell. Twoleg Place smelled much worse then ShadowClan, and RiverClan reeks of fish, but still. ShadowClan smelled bad. Thorn trundled through the pine trees while I delicately picked my way around the worst of the mud. Thorn looks back and hisses, "Hurry up!" "I'll hurry up when there's less mud," I mutter back. Thorn rolls his eyes and disappears into a clump of bracken. He returns a moment later, "I found their camp!" Excitedly, I push through the bush with him and find myself teetering on the edge of the bramble thicket. "Silverstar said that the leader's den was under the roots of a big oak tree." "How does she know that?" "She's obviously been here before! Mouse-brain..." I scan the clearing and spot a big oak tree jutting out from the camp. I nudge Thorn and we creep around the camp, taking care to be quiet, until we've reached the tree. We crouch beside the brambles the protect it and listen inside. As Silverstar suspected, Emberstar appears to be having a conversation with some of her senior warriors. "-he'll arrive in two sunrises." she's meowing, "Are we prepared? Oakleaf- report." Oakleaf- the deputy I'm guessing-meows, "Yes Silverstar. We're prepared to go to ThunderClan the day after he arrives. Then WindClan. And finally RiverClan." "Excellent," Emberstar purrs, "And I will inform the Clan tonight." I can hear the smirk in her voice and it makes my fur stand on end, "In two sunrises, ShadowClan will rise as the supreme Clan!" There are meows of agreement and happy purrs. Emberstar speaks again, "Oakleaf, would you go call the Clan together for me? I will tell them about my brother now." Thorn meets my eyes with a huge green stare. I blink, my fur poofed out. Emberstar has a brother? I almost ask myself who, but I've known all along, haven't I? ''I thought Drakon didn't have any siblings! Emberstar starts to say something and I have to focus to hear it. "Also, Ivyvine, Darkfur, Grasswind, and Briarclaw? There are two RiverClan cats outside my den, could you go get them for me?" Chapter 4 - Clan Hospitality Thorn and I don't stand a chance, in other cats' territory with only two of us to their four. They've snuck up on us from either side before we can say 'mouse'. We're escorted back into Emberstar's den. The ShadowClan leader is unruffled and at the sight of her, my fur rises. Those horrible eyes... Thorn presses against me, and instinctively I lean against him. Emberstar dismisses her four warriors, but two of them remain on guard outside. She sizes us up, then asks bluntly, "How much did you hear?" "Nothing," Thorn blinks innocently. I wonder how one of Drakon's trained killers can look so innocent. But Thorn doesn't just look it- half the time he acts like a daft kit. Emberstar seems to know that too, "Thorn is it? I don't know if things are different in your little kittypet land, but here in the forest, we know when we're being lied to." Thorn hisses slightly and this time I press against him. If Thorn looses it, we're dead. I'm too terrified to talk. "I'm not lying," he growls, "And you'd be wise to let us go." Emberstar blinks innocently, "Is that a threat?" I find my voice, "No, but it will be unless you let us go home." Emberstar smirks and I shrink back instinctively. I'm not a cowardly cat, but faced with the female version of the cat I hate and fear the most? Terrified. "Little Firefly," Emberstar croons, "You think I don't know what you heard? You think I can't smell your filthy half-RiverClan filth, half-Twoleg Place trash stench?" she stands, towering above me, a black shadow and leans in close, "The only thing that keeps me from killing you two now? Is that I want to watch the horrified expressions on your little faces when you watch your new home burn, destroyed by your old one." her eyes flicker to me, "By your old friend." She didn't say 'friends'. Just 'friend'. Singular. She knew who she was talking about. I hiss furiously, rage blurring my sight, "You know where Cobweb is you filthy piece of-" I lunge at her, screeching insults and befor eI know it, she's pinned me, claws grazing my neck-fur. Thorn is crouched, "Emberstar, please..." With a purr, the ShadowClan leader gets up, letting me up. "Like I said," she meows, licking her paw, "I'm looking forward to seeing you later. "Now get out of my sight." Chapter 5 - New Mentor "Better!" Sunclaw meows happily, "Much better!" I smile as I straighten out of my crouch. After we got back from ShadowClan, I threw myself into training. Sunclaw seemed kind of out-of-it. I notice a silvery shape coming down the hill, and a moment later, Silverstar stands by us. "Sunclaw, a word?" When my mentor returns and Silverstar disappears back up the hill, with a nod to me, I meow, "What was that all about?" "I'm retiring," he meows, a happy light in his eyes, "It's overdue. I'm very proud of what I've accomplished, but I'm ready for a long rest..." "Great!" I purr, genuinely happy for my mentor. Then, a little more timidly, "What about me...?" "You get a new mentor," he assures me. His gaze travels to the top of the hill, "Ah, there he is now!" With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I turn and groan. A grinning Thorn strides over to us. "How's my little apprentice," he meows cheerily. Fox-dung. "Firefly, you can't decide who your mentor is!" an exasperated Silverstar meows. "I'm not, I'm just asking that it not be him!" I flick my tail towards Thorn. "Hey!" he exclaims. "Firefly, I didn't do this because I know Thorn annoys you like you annoy me," Silverstar meows, "I did this because I want you two to find out more about Emberstar. You make a good team- you need to stick together." I roll my eyes and sigh, "Fine." Thorn and I head out of the den. I sigh and shoot him a glance. He tips his head, like he's thinking too hard. I smile and look at the sky. I guess it doesn't matter who my mentor is. As long as we take down Emberstar. And Drakon. Category:Artimas Hunter's Fanfics